Ex-president reacts to the acquittal of Michael Sussmann on a charge of lying to the FBI about a possible Russia link
Because of the acquittal of a lawyer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign on a charge of lying to the FBI, Donald Trump will “fight even harder” on the road to a possible White House run in 2024.
“If anything, it makes me want to fight even harder,” the former president told Fox News Digital. “If we don’t win, our country is ruined. We have bad borders, bad elections, and a court system not functioning properly.”
Trump defeated Clinton in 2016, but lost to Joe Biden in 2020, a defeat he refuses to accept, claiming electoral fraud was to blame, as the republic world reported.
This lie inspired a deadly attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, by Trump supporters who were told to “fight like hell.” A bipartisan Senate report linked the riot to seven deaths.
More than 800 people have been charged with seditious conspiracy, including members of a far-right militia. Public hearings will be held soon by a House select committee.
Trump was impeached for inciting an insurrection but acquitted, allowing him to run for office again. In legal jeopardy due to his attempt to overturn the election and his business dealings, he has stated that he will decide whether to run for president after the midterm elections this year.
Trump’s grip on the Republican Party has been called into question following primary defeats for candidates he endorsed. However, he remains popular among the party’s followers.
Democrats and other observers have expressed concern about Trump supporters moving into key election positions in swing states.
Michael Sussmann, a Clinton lawyer, was charged with lying to the FBI when he pushed information intended to cast doubt on Trump and his ties to Russia. On Tuesday, he was acquitted.
The case was the first test for special counsel John Durham since his appointment three years ago to look for misconduct in the Russia and Trump investigation. Trump supporters have turned to Durham to expose alleged FBI wrongdoing.
The trial focused on whether Sussmann, a former federal prosecutor and cybersecurity attorney, concealed from the FBI that he was representing Clinton’s campaign when he presented data he claimed showed a possible backchannel between the Russia-based Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization.
The FBI determined that no suspicious contact had occurred.
James Baker, the bureau’s then-general counsel, testified that he was “100% confident” Sussmann told him he was not representing any client. According to prosecutors, Sussmann was acting on behalf of the Clinton campaign and another entity.
Sussmann’s lawyers denied that he lied, claiming that even if he did, it was irrelevant because the FBI was already investigating Russia and Trump.
Trump claims a vast conspiracy. Speaking to Fox News Digital, he said: “They spied on my campaign. They got caught. If a Republican would have done that, and the obvious steps forward, it would be a virtual death penalty.”
He also said: “This was totally illegal. What they did was treason, and it also put our country in a lot of danger with Russia.”
The special counsel who investigated Trump and Russia, Robert Mueller, found no evidence of direct collusion. He did present extensive evidence of contacts between Trump campaign officials and Moscow, and he indicted or received guilty pleas from 34 people and three companies, as well as from detailing 11 incidences of possible obstruction of justice by Trump or his campaign.
Trump asked: “Where do you get your reputation back?”
